Route indicator



Nov. 17, 1925. 1,561,818

F. R. BARBOUR ROUTE I NDICATOR Filed April 11, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Jg'g. 3.

a; 4 5 3a 2a gra n/woo Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT o-FFICEA ROUTE INDICATOR.

Application filed April 11, 1922. Serial No. 551,707.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Finn) R. Baunonn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county 101 ,Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Route Indicator, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention aims to provide novel means whereby motion may beimparted electrically to a signal arm, or semaphore, the device being ofpeculiar utility in connection, with motor vehicles, to secure a properol'iservance t tral'iic laws.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and toenhance the utility of devices 01 that type to which the inventionappertains.

iV-ith the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combina tion andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope ofwhat is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the inventionshown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in elevation, a deviceconstructed in accordance with the invention, the semaphore beinglowered, and the lid being removed from'the casing; Figure 2 shows inelevation, a device constructed in accordance with the invention, thesemaphore being raised, and the lid for the easing being removed; Figure3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a sectionaldetail disclosing a portion of the casing.

In carrying out the invention, there 1s provided a support or casing 1adapted to be mounted on a vehicle, no means for mount- 1 ing thesupport on a vehicle being shown, since these details will depend on themake of the automobile, and other conditions.

The casing or support 1 includes a boxlike body 2 provided with studs 3on which is mounted a iarrier or preferably being made of insulatingmaterial. A lid 5 for the body 2 is provided, and is mounted on theouter ends of the studs 3, the lid being held on the studs by nuts 6threaded on the studs. A bracket 7 is mounted on the plated and isprovided with a flange 8 supporting an electro-magnet 9, the ends of thewinding 10 of the plate 1, the same magnet being prolonged through anopening 11 in the bottom of the body 2. 1 depending iirst lever 12 isrule-ruined at its upper end as shown at 1 1 on the plate a and isresponsive to the'electro-inagnet 9. The device includes an upstandingsecond lever 15 tulcrumed at its lower end as shown at 16 on the plate4. The lever 15 is offset intermediate its ends to form a shoulder 17,the shoulder being.provided'with an opening 18 wherein a reduced finger19 on the lower end of the first lever 12 is loosely received, one endof the lever 15 being, therefore, connected pivotally with the lever 12intermediate the' ends of the lever. At its upper end the second lever15 is'supplied with an outwardly projecting arm 20 having an upstandingflange 21. A semaphore arm or signal 22 is mounted pivotally at 23,inter mediate its ends, on the plate 4. Thesemaphore 22 operates in aslot 21 in the edge the body 2 of the casing 1. In its inner end, thesemaphore 22 is supplied with an opening 25. One oii'the studs 3 carriesa resilient sleeve 50, adapted to serve as an abutment for the semaphore22, should the lever end of the semaphore happen to swing inwardlybeyond Figure 1. A link 26 is pivoted at 27 to the second lever 15, at apoint intermediate the ends of the lever. One end of the link 26 isreceived loosely in the opening of the semaphore 22.

An angular latch lever 28 is fulcrumed at 29 on the plate 1 and includesa depending arm 30 responsive to the electro-magnet 9, the latclr levercomprising an arm 31, adapted to cooperate with the member 20 of thelever 15, and with the flange 21, in a way to be pointed outhereinafter.One end of a spring 32 is attached at 33 to the plate 1, the oppositeend of the spring being curved, as at 34- so as to bear upon the arm 31of the latch lever 28. A pin 35 projects from the plate 4: and engagesthe spring 32 to hold the end 34 of the spring on the arm 31 of thelatch lever 28.

Referring to Figure 1 suppose that the electro-magnet 9 is deenergized.the arm 31 of the latch lever 28 being swung d0wnwardly by the spring32, until the outer end of the arm 31 rests on the part 20 of the lever15, behind the flange 21, the upper portion of the lever 15 bearingagainst one edge portion 36 of the semaphore arm 22, the semaphore armbeing lowered, and being the position shown inheld in the casing 1.Suppose, now, that the electro-magnet 9 is energized. Then, theelectro-magnet attracts the arm of the lever 28, the lever being swungon its fulcrum 29 and the arm 31 of the lever 28 being disengaged frombehind the flange 21 of the lever 15. The lever 15, thus, is set freefor inward swinging movement. l/Vhen the electro-magnet 9 is energized,the lever 12 is attracted, and swings the lever 15 inwardly, the link 26transmitting motion to the semaphore arm 22 and swinging the semaphorearm outwardly, into the position shown in Figure 2, thereby to cause thegiving of a signal. So long as the electro-magnet 9 is energized, theparts will remain in the position shown in Figure 2, but as soon as theelectro-magnet is deenergized. the parts will assume the positions shownin Figure 1.

The link 26 has a slight amount of play in the opening 25 of thesemaphore 22. Consequently, when the magnet 9 is energized, the arm 31of the lever 28 will be swung up Wardly, out of engagement with theflange 21 on the lever 15, before swinging movement is transmitted tothe semaphore 22 by the lever 12, the lever 15 and the link 26. As shownin Figure 4, the rear wall of the body 2 may carry a lens 37. A bracket38 is mounted on the rear wall of the body 2 and carries a socket 39wherein an electric lamp 40 is mounted, the plate 4: having an opening41 giving access to the lamp. The lamp 40 and the lens 37 constitute atail light. A lens 37 is mounted in the lid 5, in alinement with thelens 37, and shows a forwardly presented signal, as distinguished from atail light. The lenses 37 and 37 may be red in color. They show when thearm 22 is raised, but are obscured when the arm is lowered, as shown inFigure 1. I

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

In a device of the class described, a sup port, oppositely extendedfirst and second levers fulcrumed at their remote ends on the support,the first lever being engaged pivotally at its inner end with anintermediate portion of the second lever, a semaphore mountedintermediate its ends to swing on the support, the semaphore, when ininactive position, being disposed alongside of the second lever and inclose relation thereto, means for connecting an intermediate portion ofthe second lever with one end of the semaphore, a bell crank latchfulcrumed on the support, one arm of the latch extending in the samegeneral direction as the first lever, the other arm of the latchextending transversely of both levers in close relation to the fulcrumedend of the first lever and cooperating with the free end of the secondlever to hold the semaphore in inactive position. and an electro-magnetlocated between the first-specified arm of the latch and the firstlever, the first-specified arm of the latch. being responsive to one endof the magnet to release the second lever, and the first lever beingresponsive to the other end of the magnet to move the semaphore toactive position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature.

FRED R. BARBOU R.

